Wednesday, November 11, 2009

A Grateful Heart - Journal of Gratitude, Joy and Beauty

I found a pretty journal the other day, it was in with my books, and I have had it for a long time but never used it. I don't 'journal' in the traditional way and I was saving this pretty purple journal with the cream pages for something special. What would be a special 'job' for such a pretty journal. (psss...how long have I had it? Long enough that the matching pen has dried up entirely! It is still with the journal for looks only)

The Holy Experience blog by Ann Voskamp has inspired me to seek joy, appreciate beauty and express my gratitude as often as I can...and I've decided to do it through my hand written journal as well as here on my blog. Her blog gives me pause and takes me to the word, and brings me to meditation and prayer. I thank her for it. Another inspiration is the women at (in)courage and their wonderful, faithful blogs. You are my sisters!

Writing by hand, for me, leaves a record not only of our words but our way of writing - how it looks, how it feels to fill a page perfectly blank with words imperfect, smudged and uneven yet full of wonder, joy and gratitude. I have invited my family to share in the journal and when they have something to share they should write, in their own words and 'letter' their grateful moments, the results of their joy hunting or the beauty that they appreciated.

So I write, I keep my journal and the working pen close at hand. I have them numbered starting at 1/1000. I will probably have photos, labels, stickers and other things pasted in as well - I am a scrapbooker so everything should have some sort of embellishment at some point! :-) I want to have for my family a legacy of what mattered to me, what brought me closer to grace and what strengthened my faith. What was lovely in a day of dirty and messy. What was joyful in a moment of tearful hurt and frustration. What made me grateful doing the ordinary things of the day.

I will be sharing some of my random numbers from the journal here on my blog...and I invite you to do the same. Comment on what was beautiful today, what brought you joy and what made you pause and say a grateful prayer.

Right now I am looking at the beauty of a Lego town, the joy of a husband and son who love each other and I am grateful for all the little things that are the world to me! I'm grateful for the poems that I've thought of but never got a chance to put on paper, they will return from their flights fuller and better.

I'm grateful for warm days and the smell of horses. I'm grateful for endless reruns of favorite DVD's. I'm grateful for clean pirate comfy pants. I'm grateful for little hands and dirty feet. I'm grateful for every photo I can take that keeps these moments in time. Mostly I'm grateful for my faith, for the grace and love of our Lord.